Japan's government stepped in to give Boeing Co's now-grounded 787 Dreamliner and its made-in-Japan technology a boost in 2008 by easing safety regulations, fast-tracking the rollout of the groundbreaking jet for Japan's biggest airlines, according to records and participants in the process.

Japan's government on Monday forecast a strong rebound in economic growth that could nudge tax revenue in the next budget above borrowing for the first time in four years, but analysts say it will need to do more to show it takes fiscal discipline seriously.

Google is facing legal action in the UK over claims it breached the privacy of people browsing the internet on Apple computers and mobile devices. Twelve people are seeking damages from the company for allegedly tracking their use of the web without their knowledge.

A creature resembling a hybrid dolphin and crocodile has been identified by scientists examining fossil remains discovered more than a century ago. The new species, named Tyrannoneustes lythrodectikos, was a marine "super-predator" that lived 163m years ago. It belonged to a group of ancient crocodiles with dolphin-like features.